The public libraries in and around St. Louis aren't a bunch of buildings with collections of books, magazines, and newspapers made available for people to borrow. The St. Louis County Library system is a finely-tuned machine where the innovative operators continue to add new and improved products and services for their patrons. Along with those products and services, the St. Louis County Library also boasts a creative staff of history buffs and genealogists who keep it humming, and they are definitely something St. Louis should brag about.
The St. Louis County Library has 20 locations across St. Louis County and sees more than 3.2 million visitors each year. Each branch seems to have its own charm, unique services, and vibe. Depending on the visit, you might even catch one of the talented local bands playing at the library while you grapple with everything each library has to offer. As you do, a realization comes to mind that the success of the St. Louis County Library must be credited to the good works offered by the staff at the library. That's because the employees at each location pride themselves in helping their patrons discover and connect as a genealogical library.
Driving Force for History, Genealogy
Brent Trout is the manager of the History and Genealogy Department of the St. Louis County Library. His unique ideas and efforts are a driving force motivating his employees. Brent manages his staff like a baseball coach filling a team. He gathers the best possible players, then lets them perform at their own high skill level. “It is important that they are capable researchers, but I push them to make the knowledge they gain exciting for the public.” Exciting managers like Brent add to the intrigue and the accomplishments of this public library system.
Born in Saint Peters, Missouri, Brent then moved west with his family to O’Fallon, where Brent jokes he was able to get a good education despite “being raised in the middle of a corn field.” Brent attended Southeast Missouri State (SEMO), majoring in history for his bachelor’s degree, and then he continued to Northwest Missouri State for a master’s degree in history with a public history focus. Brent’s plan when he graduated was to teach history. That goal changed when his department chair slyly involved him in multiple museum preservation projects and internships. Brent became devoted to history through preservation and interpretation of objects.
Park Manager, Sub Museum, Bright Future
While waiting for his wife to finish her final year of school and with a miserable 4-hour commute to his then current job at a museum in Overland Park, Kansas, Brent promised his bride he would send one application a day to open museum positions. Brent happened upon a job vacancy on Indeed with a poorly written description titled “park manager sub museum bright future.” Brent applied anyway, knowing he had to keep his commitment to his wife. Brent admits he put very little effort into this job application, thinking it would never amount to much. Surprisingly, Brent quickly received a response—which led to an interview, a skype call, and a job offer. Brent stunned his wife with a question, “How do you feel about living in Muskogee, Oklahoma?”
Brent began work at the Muskogee War Memorial Park: Home of the USS Batfish on July 5, 2014. He well remembers this date because of all the fireworks they drove past as they headed towards Muskogee on July 4. Brent enjoyed his time at the sub museum. He worked hard and turned it into a regional and national attraction. Brent was there when a 500-year flood caused the 3-million-ton sub to float for the first time in 50 years. The flood actually brought the 311-foot-long Balao-class submarine straight up, snapping all the cables which held it in place. The ship became buoyant in 42-foot deep flood waters and drifted down the Arkansas river—an exciting time for any museum!
A Need for Genealogy Service
The Muskogee War Memorial Park is where Brent first experienced the need to provide genealogy reference services. “In Oklahoma, lots of folks are utilizing genealogy to complete enrollment in the tribal nations to acquire the benefits that come with citizenship. Despite being a museum professional, not a genealogist, folks would come to me and ask for help because of my familiarity with research and history,” says Brent. Ever the public servant, Brent began dabbling into genealogy on an amateur level.
Seeking a new challenge (something that would compete with launching a submarine in the Arkansas river), Brent was intrigued with a new position with the Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch. This 13-acre historic site is the home of the largest and the longest running cattle ranch in South Florida. This museum from the early 1900s provides visitors with a rare opportunity to experience daily working life on a Florida pioneer homestead and citrus grove. On the edge of the Big Cypress Swamp, this museum tells the story of spirited families who struggled to tame the vast wilderness prairie. Here Brent experimented with a hobby he loved—genealogy. He was motivated to complete the genealogy for the Roberts family who founded the ranch. It was at the Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch where Brent claims he became a genealogist.
After a few years at the Roberts museum, Brent felt a pull to move back to Missouri, closer to family. He had loved growing up close to his grandparents when he was young and wanted the same for the 2 sweet girls, Daisy and Maggie. His current boss, Amy Hanaway poached him from the Immokalee Pioneer Museum and brought him back to Missouri and to the St. Louis County Library system.
Back to Missouri for More Genealogy
With his new position at SLCL, Brent continued connecting people to their ancestry. Brent was dedicated to his public service and at each museum he enjoyed giving back to all the patrons he served. Brent‘s management style with his employees at SLCL is one of encouragement. Each member of their staff is given support and motivated to discover an interest that becomes their specialty at the library. Brent moved forward with his expertise of history and genealogy. Along with all the experience and knowledge gained in Oklahoma of Indigenous people, Brent discovered St. Louis was a hotbed of German activity, so he dove right in with German histories. The St. Louis County Library is home to one of the larger genealogy collections in the United States, including the National Genealogical Society Collection. Many do not know that SLCL History and Genealogy also holds the largest collection in the United States of Ortssippenbuch (German town lineage books). Brent’s area of expertise fit well with FamilySearch, who partners with SLCL, digitally preserving genealogy books and scanning unique records using microfilm.
One may wonder how to make this happen at your local library. It is important to know that the origins of the department began with the St. Louis Genealogical Society. This society in St. Louis is one of the largest municipal area genealogical societies and is still a strong operating society. The collection that STLGS curated was started in a trunk during the 1960s and eventually ended up becoming a rather large collection in the University City Library. After about 25 years, the University City Library ran out of space and needed to move the items. St. Louis County Library administrators and the future supervisor of the Genealogy Department, Joyce Loving, saw the need to establish a large Special Collections Department to provide genealogical assistance to patrons.
A Better Space for Genealogy Records
Dan Wilson was the director at that time and took an interest in providing specialized attention for patrons as he felt the library took a more generalist approach. The relationship to this day is still strong with the St. Louis Genealogical Society. The organizations work together regularly. The library will host the genealogical society's monthly meetings and refer people to them for research assistance. The society assists with developing the library's collection, marketing library events, and providing insight into sources and research trends. FamilySearch adds to this partnership with volunteers on site who digitize at no cost.
Brent is involved in all of it and considers himself a preservationist—think Indiana Jones, professor of archaeology, wearing a tweed suit, not the fedora and the whip. “These documents will go away unless they are digitized,” Brent emphasizes. “Maybe instead of Indiana Jones, I should be considered a FamilySearch influencer because my goal is to preserve records. This is important work we are doing. We gather and inventory material so FamilySearch can scan it. They then make it available to everyone. This local history is important to each of us and to our communities. Family history tells our stories, and it matters to all of us.”
“If we can preserve and digitize our records, they are then accessible in FamilySearch’s online catalog and historical records collections," Brent acknowledges." All these digital images contain billions of names of individuals, when indexed, these names are contributed to FamilySearch’s existing online database of 6 billion searchable names.”
The History and Genealogy Department (formerly known as Special Collections) provides genealogical assistance to patrons. That department just celebrated their 25th anniversary. Their collection has expanded to one of the largest in the country. Soon it will move into a brand new building where they hope to continue serving genealogy patrons near and far for many more years to come. Brent noted, “As the generation of America is graying, an interest is crossing the mind of a younger generation searching for their roots. Genealogy is the fastest growing hobby in the country.” Brent acknowledged there are a lot of younger folks coming into the genealogy library. They are planting seeds in those as young as 12 years old with oral history kits that teach youngsters how to catch and record the stories of their parents and grandparents. “People learn something they didn’t know and it gives them hope to find more information about their ancestors.”
Watching for "Aha" Moments
When someone is passionate about what they do, it shows. Brent loves his job, and the genealogy and history department of the library is flourishing. Although he loves training his staff, Brent wishes he had more time to spend with patrons. He is able to use his history background to help find explanations. Brent enjoys watching people in their “aha” moments discover information they did not know about their family.
"It is important that our visitors have a victory on that first visit to the genealogical library," he says. "Before any of our patrons walk out the door, we want them to leave the library with a hope they will find more answers. Not every patron may discover that relative, but with history, we can provide the necessary context to fill in gaps to make the genealogy resonate.”
Brent feels fortunate this is where he has landed at the St. Louis County Library System. As he puts it, “I have the best job. I get to tell stories for a living. It doesn’t get any better than this.” We can look to history and genealogy to find value in our lives, which we gain from our ancestors and the stories of their lives. The patrons in St. Louis are a lucky bunch and much better off with Brent as the manager of the History and Genealogy Department of St. Louis County Library.
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